Similar to diabetes, incubating myotubes with Dex for 48 h decreased PGC-1α protein by 66 ± 16% (p = 0.01, Fig 1A) and PGC-1α mRNA by 50 ± 20% (p = 0.0001, Fig 1B). The gene discussed is PPARGC1A; the disease is diabetes mellitus.